Non-Vegan Skin Care Ingredients to Watch Out For
It’s not always easy to know where your ingredients come from. With a little sleuthing on your part (read the ingredient labels carefully and ask questions when in doubt), you'll be in the know in no time at all.
Here is a list of some of the more common ingredients to watch out for if you are looking for a vegan product.
Common ingredients in cosmetics and skincare that are almost always* derived from an animal source or animal by-product:
Albumen
Ambergris
Beeswax
Cholesterol
Carmine ( cochineal, natural red 4, E120, C.I. 75470, carminic acid, crimson lake)
Collagen
Elastin
Emu Oil
Estrogen
Gelatin (Gel)
Goat’s Milk
Guanine
Honey
Hydrolyzed Animal Protein
Lactose
Lanolin (Laneth, Lanogene)
Lard
Milk Protein
Mink Oil
Pearl (Pearl Powder, Hydrolyzed Pearl)
Pristane
Progesterone
Retinol
RNA (Ribonucleic Acid)
Royal Jelly
Sable Brushes
Silk (Silk Powder, Hydrolyzed Silk Protein)
Spermaceti (Cetyl Palmitate, Sperm Oil)
Squalene
Tallow
Turtle Oil
Common ingredients in cosmetics and skincare that can have an animal, plant or synthetic origin**:
Alpha-Hydroxy Acids
Allantoin
Amino Acids
Biotin
Caprylic Acid (Caprylic Triglyceride, Caprylamine Oxide, Capryl Betaine)
Carotene
Glycerin (Glycerol)
Hyaluronic Acid
Keratin
Lecithin (Choline Bitartrate)
Myristic Acid
Nucleic Acids
Shellac
Stearic Acid (Stearamide, Stearamine, Stearates, Stearic Hydrazide, Stearone, Stearoxytrimethylsilane, Stearoyl Lactylic Acid, Stearyl Betaine, Stearyl Imidazoline)
Steroids (Sterols)
Urea (Carbamide)
* I just wanted to note that technology is constantly evolving and more and more natural (vegan and non-vegan) ingredients are being synthesized in a lab. We are also finding new sources/methods for many ingredients so this list may change as new ingredient supplies come to market.
** These ingredients can come from various sources, making it harder to tell if they are vegan or not. Look for words like "vegetable" or "plant-derived" along with these ingredients. If still unclear, don't be afraid to reach out to the brand and ask.
